


Glittering Heart

by vampirecult



Category: Moana (2016)
Genre: (here's a secret: tama needs a special stone to be human), Amnesia, Character Study, Courting Rituals, Demigods, F/M, Forced Eye Contact, Human/Monster Romance, Kidnapping, Kissing, LGBTQ Themes, Liberal use of Italics, M/M, Magic, Minor Original Character(s), Monsters, Other, Praise Kink, Reader-Insert, Serenading, Size Difference, Slow Burn, Sugar Daddy, tamatoa is a crab but...he's also a human? when he wants to be, the reader is implied nonbinary/gender neutral, ur tama's sugar baby, you can play guitar!! and invent things!! so handy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-10
Updated: 2019-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-03 01:48:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13330911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vampirecult/pseuds/vampirecult
Summary: You've been in Lalotai your entire life, but for some reason this is the first time you're seeing this giant singing crab. Soon, he becomes your entire world, though his beauty comes in many forms...





	1. Taonga Huna

**Author's Note:**

> anyways uh,,,, this is gonna be slow to update since im in school, but i recognize the significant lack of tamatoa fics out there, so i wanted to add my own into the mix. i hope it reads okay!! hope y'all have a great day/night!!
> 
> (also, i spend a lot of time developing and describing the reader's background in this, so i know it might seem like it drawls on in the beginning. i just want the nature and abilities of them to be known since,,, the rest of the fic is gonna be centered on tama. thank you!)

It was here amongst the creatures kept from earth’s surface, alongside beings of deformity and beauty none the like that any human could understand or appreciate, that I was brought into the world. I didn’t know how. It seemed impossible. I’m human—that much I know. I had heard of other humans falling here before, but they never survived long, and it was hard to really compare myself to them in such little time. From my brief observations, we are very similar. I don’t bear the mark of any monster on the outside, but my eyes hold the unmistakable imprint of nonhuman influence. They shine a bright luminescent gold, and as far as I know serve their purpose as a survival mechanism. They let me see in the dark. Helpful, especially in a place like Lalotai. I had to have been more than the average human, or else I would never have survived as long as I did.

It could be that I have an excellent talent for disguise, or my ability to move like an eel up the many rock formations that littered Lalotai’s floor. I weighed my steel against many a fiend and my fighting skills have only grown as I continue to develop. Even with all the knowledge I now have about Lalotai’s wildlife, I still knew I had to hide my obvious humanity from monsters too big to tackle on my own. Early in my life, I learned to make myself a mask and protective clothing to shield my face and torso. The mask was painted with many false eyes and what I thought to be a pretty horrifying smile. I made holes through two of the eyes so I could see, but they still hid the shine that emitted so wildly from inside. Surely that would deter any unforeseen enemies.

I had to fight quite often, but I felt at ease climbing across glowing reefs and swinging my body from one floating rock to the next. The landscape was my playground when immediate danger didn’t keep me company. I found homes in holes and caves and trees. The glow of the night calmed me, and I marveled at its beauty. Even with all the world to take in, what I had come to know as loneliness was always present during the night. I would stay inside some random alcove or another with nothing but my own thoughts for company, and this was how I spent my life for many long years.

With no outside stimulation, I had to get creative. I managed to fashion myself a pretty nice guitar out of a carved log and constrained muscle sinews I collected from several leftover animal feasts. Once I got the hang of playing, I was able to quietly sing to my heart’s content, entertaining myself through the dark lonely night until light shone back down on this oddly marvelous world I grew up in. I could not imagine anything on the surface could compare to what lied down here.

I had no outside experience to compare this world to anyhow, but I was unsurprised to find that I didn’t care. I hadn’t cared since I had met _him_ and let my well-constructed lifestyle get turned on its head.

It had been an accident, really, that I came upon him. It surprised me that I hadn’t seen him before. After all, he was the loudest most obnoxious thing down here, and more blinding than the sunlight that glistened down through the ocean above me. I still had no idea how the sun could shine this far underwater, but it always danced gorgeously off his immense figure.

The first thing that led me to him was the sound of music. I had been making my way down the western end of one of Lalotai’s many jungles, collecting vines to make rope for a new hammock (my last one had been ransacked by one of those giant flying hellspawn). During my walk I heard a gorgeous melody, a lilting voice weaving through the trees, echoing all around me. I didn’t know what compelled me to follow it, but I did. _Very_ quickly I might add, eager to find the source of this sound before it ceased its tuneful rhythm. Foot after foot, I ran until I found myself in a field of geysers surrounding a mountainous hill where a large cave stood.

From inside I could see many glittering lights, and the voice was definitely coming from inside. Straightening the mask on my face, I slid my way through the geyser field and clambered none too gracefully up the slope to the cave. Peering inside, I was faced with one of the most amazing sights I’d ever laid eyes upon. The owner of that most gorgeous voice was what looked to be… a gigantic crab. He had a mountain of gold stuck to its shell, causing light to dance off the cave walls. I was awe-struck, frozen in place until I saw that there were others in the cave with him.

They were _humans_. Or at least looked like them. The larger human was being tossed around by the crab as he sang and kept trying to reach something on his shell that had been stuck amongst the rest of the treasure. Though it was hard to see through my mask, I could see it was a weapon. When the man was tossed to the ground again, the beast knocked a claw on the wall, and suddenly everything become much darker. That didn’t last for long, though. Not only did the scenery inside the cave begin to glow, but so did the crab monster. I was caught breathless. _Bioluminescence_.

The light from his markings resembled my own eyes very closely. I couldn’t help but gaze slack-jawed at the beautiful beast before me. He was obviously antagonizing the humans around him, but my awe made me blind to anything but his song and his movement. Action picked up almost immediately. The bigger human eventually managed to get a hold of the weapon, but it was quickly taken back from him and returned to the crab’s enormous shell. The smaller human escape and began scrubbing something onto an object as the crab closed in on their companion with seemingly ill intentions. Before that could happen, they finished scrubbing and shouted out:

“Hey! I got somethin’ shiny for ya!” At the sound of her voice, the giant crab turned around, his eyes widening. She was holding up a shining green stone. Apparently, he deemed it more important than eating the man underneath him. He rushed towards her as she dropped it, leaving him to dig in the dirt for the stone with his powerful glowing claws. While he was distracted, they gained ahold of the hooked weapon and made their escape. I ducked into the foliage to hide myself as the pair advanced.

This was when it all went awry. The crab had discovered what trick had been played on him. His ensuing chase was unfortunately in vain. As the other guests escaped using one of the many geysers splayed across the field, the object of my unexpected admiration was knocked backwards onto his enormous shell, left in a very awkward position and unable to situate himself. I watched silent from my hiding spot as he shouted various insults after them, though they were long gone. Eventually he relented, and heaved a sigh that echoed across the vacant expanse of territory we both found ourselves in.

I began questioning my options. He had been chasing those people with the intent to harm, but all I saw before me now was a helpless creature. A helpless creature with a _very_ attractive singing voice. Thoughts burned in my head. I peered through the weeds. He was still lying there, talking to himself about revenge and other topics of the same nature, down the bank from the mouth of his cave. If he wanted to hurt me, it didn’t seem like he would be able to anytime soon. All I really had to do was watch out for those claws of his and I could most likely get away with speaking to him. Maybe my infatuation with him blinded me to the obvious danger of the situation, but I had no regrets as I emerged from my camouflage and started down the hill.

So far, he still hadn’t noticed anything amiss. Not that I was surprised in the least. Here I was, barely an inch of a person compared to him, a 50-foot crab monster. I was getting closer steadily. When I was nearly twenty feet away from him, he stopped his listless muttering and twitched his eye stalks towards me. If I tripped over a few unnecessary rocks to make noise, then it was on purpose.

He squinted at me curiously. Not exactly in a suspicious way, but still made me stop in my tracks. I had to remind myself I was wearing a disguise, so he wouldn’t immediately see me as fish bait.

“You there,” He spoke to me, acknowledging my presence. “Don’t get any funny ideas. This is a temporary situation, and I don’t think you’d like to see what happens when I’m annoyed by tiny, crawly intruders.”

I tilted my head inside my mask, trying to get a better look at him. His eyes widened.

“So, you can understand me?” He smirked to himself. “Hmph. The wildlife must be evolving.”

Okay, that kinda hurt. However, I understood the sentiment, as I did look like just another sloth creature from the trees. He said I wouldn’t like what happened when he was annoyed by small, intruding creatures. If he knew I wasn’t just another animal, would he still consider me small and annoying? Possibly. But I wasn’t here without something to offer. After all, he was the one who was compromised here. I had the upper hand.

I removed my gloves and put them in my makeshift bag slung to my side to reveal my very human, very opposable-thumbed hands.

At this, he audibly gasped.

“Well, well, well,” Our eyes met through my mask. “Aren’t you full of surprises? However did a human manage to sneak past me down here?” His tone took on an air of frustration, but I didn’t relent. I wanted his trust, and to trust him in return. I needed him to know I was here to help.

Uncovered hands visibly shaking, I reached up to touch the edge of my mask, and pushed it upwards so that just my mouth could be seen behind the shroud.

“I…I want to help you.” My voice sounded small in the open space, and almost made me cringe when I heard it. Luckily, he had heard every word.

“You? A human?” He chuckled deeply, and the seabed shook. “Are you aware I’m ten times your size?”

“I could… push you over?” I suggested, realizing I hadn’t planned ahead as well as I should have.

At this, he snorted. “Babe, I’m not sure if you’ve yet grasped the idea of physics, but there’s a bit of a, uh… _weight_ issue here. Unless the gods blessed you with superior strength, I don’t think things will turn in your favor.” He sighed. “Or mine, for that matter.”

I wasn’t going to let his sarcasm deter me.

“Whether I’m small or not, I don’t see anyone else out here. It’s either me, or you stay upside down, pal.” This caught his attention. It was the likely the first pushback anyone had given him in a while.

He looked me over suspiciously.

“Why would you want to help me…?” He squinted. “I could eat you in two seconds, you know.” One of his large claws moved suggestively, but I swept out of range.

I shrugged the nerves off. “I figure, if you’re stuck like this, that keeps me somewhat safe. And it’s just sportsmanlike to _not kill_ a guy right after they do you a favor.”

He smiled smugly at my last comment, and I felt my heart beat faster.

“You’re a funny one.” He gazed down at me. “I like that. Very well, human. If you really want to help a giant predator, who am I to stop you.”

“Glad we can agree.” I shifted my weight. “So, we’ve established I’m far too small and insignificant to ever attempt moving you on my own. I can do just about anything else, though. Got any ideas?”

“ _Pfff_ ,” He scoffed, rolling his eyes. “If I had any ideas of my own, I would have already gotten out of this position. Though… now that you’re here, there is one thing I think might work.” He shifted his blue-eyed gaze over to me questioningly. “How good are you at climbing?”

I smirked wickedly. “You’ve lucked out today. That just happens to be my specialty.”

He looked at me as if trying to read my intentions. “Alright. If you’re as good at climbing as you say you are, you can do this for me: inside my cave up there, you’ll see my treasure, but there’s a special piece I need you to bring to me. Are you listening?”

“Yes, sir.” As if I could do anything _but_ listen to his voice.

“Good. There’s a large pink pearl I keep up above everything else, so no grubby intruders carry it away. If you climb along the sides of the cave walls, you’ll find it placed inside an alcove near the center of the back wall. But be careful—”

My breath stalled.

“—I don’t want you breaking anything while you’re in there.” Ugh. For a moment I had thought he might actually be concerned for my wellbeing. After all, I was helping him. “Now get to it! There’s no time to waste here, human.”

“Alright, alright, I’m going!” With a huff I turned on my heels, pulling my mask back down to move more quickly. Repeating his directions in my head, I entered the cave mouth to start my mission. Just like he said, there were rocky, mismatched edges on the cave walls that _looked_ climbable. But were they really? There was only one way to find out. Steeling my nerves, I pulled my gloves back on and chose the left path, hefted myself onto the first ledge and quickly hopped over the rocks ahead. I slipped several times in my journey from one ledge to the other due to the sheer height of them all, and received battle wounds to prove it. The rocks were just sharp enough to make cuts to my hands and knees, even through my thickly wrapped clothing, but were sustainable enough to keep pushing forwards. I could see my destination just three more jumps above me. With determination on my side, I succeeded in mounting the last legs of my upwards climb and made it to a smooth platform just above the crab’s enormous assemblage of treasure.

On the wall, there was an oval-shaped opening where I could clearly see a round, pinkish orb settled inside. Convinced this was what he had been talking about, I slid my gloves off to get a good grip on the pearl. When my skin made contact with the gem, I felt a warm buzzing sensation settle over my palms. It wasn’t uncomfortable, just surprising. Pleasantly so. I slipped it into my bag and began my descent back into the depths of the cave. I didn’t want to keep him waiting too long. From what I could tell of his character thus far, he was impatient as an infant.

Free from sharp ledges and slick rocks, I hurried my way back outside. Sure enough, my crab monster was still there, flipped over and _entirely_ immobile. He was humming to himself. I could hear the sweet tune from where I was standing.

Having not noticed me approach, I slid my mask up again and cleared my throat (somewhat hesitantly I might add, as I would do anything to hear him continue). His eyes shot open and located me, face lighting up.

“Finally, you’re back. And in one piece. Glad you didn’t die on me.” He seemed to relax slightly, which put me at ease. “Now, the goods? Please tell me you came back with something.”

“Oh, yeah,” I shifted my bag to the front and gingerly retrieved his pearl from inside. It was big enough that I had to hold it with two hands, but surprisingly weighed less than a coconut. “Is this what you wanted?”

“Yes! Yes, splendid, you’ve found it!” He grinned widely, and I instinctively took a step back at the sight of his mouth in such close proximity to me. “Now, all you have to do is climb up here,” he moved his right claw to point to his face. “And put it in my mouth. Simple as that, babe.”

I looked at him dumbly. Did he think I was stupid? He looked at me expectantly, frustrated that I hadn’t moved yet.

“C’mon, this isn’t difficult to understand. What’s the hold up?”

I took a small step backwards. “H-How do I know you won’t eat me?”

He sighed deeply. “Whatever happened to _sportsmanship_? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten your principles already.”

 _Touché_. I did want us to trust each other. We would have to for this to work. I tried to swallow the worry in my throat and took a deep breath.

“Alright. How do I…get up there?”

“Well, if you’ve finally come to your senses, I was going to offer a lift.” He raised his claw closer to me. Before I had time to react, he picked me up by the scruff of my makeshift shirt, lifting me high into the air. I held back a scream, but squirmed above his eyes, not wanting him to drop me into his mouth if I could help it. His soft blue eyes looked so much clearer up close. I noticed one of his pupils was a different size than the other. It was… oddly endearing.

“You look much different up close, human.” He eyed me, and I felt extremely vulnerable under his stare. “I can’t really tell with all those hideous rags covering you, but you don’t seem to be a child. Unless human age rates have changed in the past couple centuries. I don’t keep up with you all.”

“P-Please, the pearl?” I reminded him of the subject at hand. I didn’t want him getting too curious while he had me at his mercy. Luckily, this did the trick, and he snapped out of his fixation.

“Ah, yes. Go ahead then, just drop it in there and my little problem with be solved.” He opened his large mouth, keeping me well above it so I wouldn’t get too nervous and fumble the pearl to the ground instead.

I tried not to look down into the gaping maw below me and held the pink pearl out. It fell soundlessly from my grip. I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until I heard the crab swallow. With a smile and a wink, my vision of him began to blur. A popping sensation was heard. Pink and purple smoke filled my view. All at once, I was falling. The crab monster was gone. I was sure I was going to land hard on the ground. Having nothing else to be certain of, I braced myself for impact and screwed my eyes shut.

But…I didn’t feel the ground. I counted the seconds it would have taken me to fall, but nothing happened. There was no pain. Instead, the painful sensation I prepared for was replaced with warmth. I felt arms, thick strong ones, holding me up. Had some sort of guardian deity flown down to save me from falling to my ultimate demise? Hesitantly, I opened one eye open just slightly. It was hard to see correctly through my mask, but there was definitely a man holding me. That was odd. The only man in Lalotai had just escaped to the surface not an hour before. I opened the other eye, and slid my mask up just enough to make my vision clearer.

“That’s right, babe, take it all in.” Oh, Gods.

It was _that voice._

My jaw fell slack but I didn’t care as I took in the sight before me. That pearl—it must have been magic. That’s the only explanation, for the crab monster I had been acquainted with was now a man. Not only that, but he was _my size_. His hair was voluminous and flowed across his shoulders and back, streaks of gold strewn throughout, catching the sunlight well enough to make the colors dance. He wasn’t wearing any shirt, but wore various necklaces, one of which held a familiar pink pearl in the center. His nose was pierced, as were his ears, and he had faint facial hair on his jawline and above his lip. It was quite a lot to process. It wasn’t unheard of for the bigger monsters in Lalotai to have transformational powers, but I had never played witness to one until this moment.

I tried to snap out of my open-faced admiration of his features, aware of my surroundings once again. I was now in the presence of a much more manageable companion, and he was _still_ holding me. I wiggled awkwardly and climbed out of his grip, quickly stepping a good four to five feet away to gauge him from afar.

He smirked after me.

“What’s to be afraid of, human?” The man put a hand on his hip, which held a band to the feathery plant-based skirt he wore around his chubby waist. Through further observation, I could see he wore rings on both hands and had tattoos on both arms as well. Small golden freckles stood atop his broad shoulders, which somehow glittered along with the rest of him.

“It’s probably been awhile since you’ve been around someone so _stunning_. I can only imagine you’ve been living with blind sea creatures in caves all your life, am I correct?” He winked at me, feigning a knowing expression.  

“N-no. I live alone.” I located my gloves and slid them back on, feeling self-conscious in his presence.

“Oh? Now, that’s a pity. I’m sure you’d be useful to have around. If nothing else, you’d probably make an _awfully_ tasty snack.” He chuckled deeply, grinning enough to show a small spit gap in between his two front teeth.

I stiffened at the suggestion of me being possibly eaten. He noticed and stopped laughing.

“Calm down, I respect our deal. You’ve helped me, so I promise I won’t be eating you anytime soon. Besides, eating fleshy humans in this form is just _tiring_. Hard to consume it all when I’m this small, y’know?” He came closer to me and I tried not to curl in on myself. “Besides, you look too thin. I don’t like the bony ones.” It was his attempt at a joke, but I didn’t know how to react. I’d had more conversation today than I ever had in my entire life.

After the last quip about his eating tastes, he looked as if he suddenly realized something.

“Oh! I haven’t properly introduced myself, have I?” He looked genuinely shocked that he hadn’t mentioned it beforehand. “Better late than never then, hm?”

He brushed the hair out of his face and posed, looking down at me with hooded eyes.

“The name’s Tamatoa, the shiniest being in all of Lalotai! This name you won’t soon forget! None outshine my beauty and none ever will as long as I exist in the realm of the monsters!” He smiled proudly, applauding himself, and the sight was just too much for me to handle.

I started laughing, _genuinely_ laughing, for the first time in what felt like forever. He stopped in his grandeur to scowl at me, and I fell into a giggling heap.

“Well, that’s not a very appreciative reaction. Do you know the privilege I just gave you? A personal introduction from yours truly, the most beautiful creature you’ll ever see in your entire puny life!” Tamatoa fussed, but it only tickled me even further. I felt tears prick at the edges of my eyes, I was laughing so hard. My stomach began to hurt, and I rolled onto my back.

In my giggly stupor, I hadn’t realized just how loose my mask had been, and it flipped right off my face when I rolled over. In an instant, my laughter stopped. My eyes shot open as I felt the air of the day hit my face, open and exposed. I looked towards my companion, who stopped pitching a fit and fixed his eyes on me. I could feel sweat bead on my forehead.

_He sees me. He sees my eyes. Shit, shit, shit!_

Before I could let the situation get any worse, I scrambled for my fugitive mask. It was only mere steps away, but I was caught by hands bigger and stronger than my own. They pulled me backwards and spun me around. I was face to face with a man more beautiful than the fucking sun, but I couldn’t bear to look at him. Not this close, not feeling this ugly and _naked_.

But…Tamatoa didn’t look angry, or disgusted. His expression was unreadable. He put a hand on either side of my face, thumbs centered by the edges of my cursed eyes. I was afraid to speak. I was afraid to do _anything_. No other creature had ever seen my face in broad daylight before. I probably looked hideous. Like a slimy bug, caught underneath a rock.

“I-I know I’m strange looking, you d-don’t have to keep staring at me like that.” I blinked rapidly, tears starting to appear for a different reason now. “Please, just—”

“ _You’re gorgeous_.”

My breath stopped. My entire everything stopped. _What did he say?_

“ _Mon tresor_ , why would you wear ever wear a mask?” His brows furrowed. “You’ve fooled me on purpose, haven’t you?”

“Wh-what?”

“I’m talkin’ about those eyes of yours.” Tamatoa rubbed his thumb under my left eye softly, and I relaxed into the movement almost involuntarily. He grinned at this, and raised a thick eyebrow. “They’re as golden as the sun and _twice as shiny_.”

I honestly didn’t know what to say. I’d always seen my eyes as a disadvantage, just another thing that would attract predators, but here this guy was comparing them to the goddamn _sun_.

He silently studied me for a moment and then, having mentally decided something, removed his hands from my cheeks and instead used them to swing me over his shoulder in one fluid motion. I barely managed to grab my mask before he set off. I had almost forgotten he was formerly a giant monster crab. _Of course_ his arms were powerful.

“What’re you doing?!” I squirmed, my bag hanging down from my neck and slightly choking me. My words became squeaks, and it didn’t help that my line of sight was engulfed in his thick wily hair.

“I have a proposition for you, angel.” Tamatoa’s lilting voice rumbled into my chest from where I was pressed against him. We were walking, and I could only assume it was back to the cave. “Seeing how resourceful you were back there got me thinking. I need someone around to help me protect my stash. Bonus reward? I’ll finally have some company I don’t want to eat.”

We stopped suddenly. I was promptly sat back down in front of him. As predicted, we were back in his cave. The air was clearer and easier to breathe, and though I was still uneasy, it wasn’t a terrible atmosphere to be in when I wasn’t scaling a wall.

“What’s in it for me?” I swallowed, trying to keep my head.

“ _Mon cher_ , you’ll receive the high pleasure of being in my presence _at all times_.” He leant towards me, almost at eye level. “There’s just one rule.”

I blinked up at him dumbly. He tapped a finger on my forehead.

**“No. Masks.”**


	2. A Côté de Toi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Tamatoa become closer, and you realize you aren't afraid when you start to get attached.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ummMMMM?? thanks for the positive feedback??? it makes me feel so happy that people actually notice my writing and appreciate it. also shoutout to my roommate [pnt_boi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pnt_boi/pseuds/pnt_boi) for encouraging this, he's my biggest fan :')
> 
> (also, i realize im very slow to update, and i apologize. im a college student and im constantly overwhelmed with existence)

Well, this could be a problem. It could definitely be worse—at least he hadn’t flinched away after seeing me, or decided to end me and my weird existence then and there. From what I could tell, I had pretty standard human features, at least compared to the few I had observed lingering around before promptly being gobbled up by some hidden creature. Still, I knew I was different from them. Maybe in more ways than one. Even with Tamatoa’s unexpected acceptance of my appearance, I had many reservations regarding the rest of our current arrangement. I didn’t know if I could actually get used to positive socialization (any socialization at all, for that matter).

“Now, if you’re going to be staying here,” He began to circle, looking me up and down, succeeding in making me feel supremely self-aware for what felt like the trillionth time in the past hour. “We’re going to have to get you out of those filthy rags. They _barely_ pass for actual clothing.”

“Wh-what?!” I swiveled around. “I’m not taking my clothes off!”

“Calm down buttercup, I only meant they look absolutely _grimy_. Not to mention unhygienic. Do you even wash them?”

“Obviously! It’s just kind of hard to find time.” I crossed my arms defensively. “Considering there are so many things out there that see me as a side dish.”

“You’ve made it this far, haven’t you? Besides, you won’t have to worry about those things with _me_ around.” Tamatoa purred. For a moment, I was flustered. Was he implying he would give me protection? He had no reason to. If I were to suddenly disappear, it would only mean he didn’t have someone around to help him protect his wares, of which there were many.

Then again, Tamatoa had also mentioned wanting some company.

“What do you say? I’m known to be quite the _artiste_ when it comes to fashion design.”

To be honest, I wasn’t ready yet to sink myself fully into a new lifestyle. I was admittedly interested—there was no doubt about that, after interrupting my entire day just to hear his voice up close. If I could take this slowly somehow without making it seem like I disliked his ideas…

“How about we get to know each other first?” I suggested, trying out a smile. The first one I’d had on my face without the mask to hide it.

“ _‘Get to know each other?’_ ” This obviously piqued Tamatoa’s interest, a low chuckle fluttering up from his chest. “How do you mean, human?”

“We could, I dunno, play a game?” Various ideas shot through my head until I finally settled on one. “We take turns asking each other questions, and for each question we pass, we owe the other a favor. Sound fair?”

The taller man contemplated for a second, seeming to weigh the pros and cons. “Fine, I consent. I can’t deny a fan their wants, after all.” I rolled my eyes to myself when he batted his thick eyelashes down at me.

“I’ll go first.” Looking around, I decided we might as well sit where we were, in the center of the cave where the sand was soft and warm. He didn’t understand at first as I stooped down, but I gestured for him to follow, and we sat cross-legged facing each other. I noticed even _sitting_ he was still a good couple hands taller than me. “So, first question: how long can you stay human?”

“Oh honey, I’m in no way _human_. I’m just…different.” Tamatoa raised a hand to brush some of his shining hair over his shoulder, revealing a golden choker banded across his neck. In the middle of the band was the pink pearl from earlier, just smaller and welded into the glossy golden metal. “See this? Swallowing the pearl makes this form easier to maintain and keeping it on my body allows me to stay this way as long as I feel like. Y’know, normally this form makes me feel repulsive. I suppose the plus side is…I get to see you up close.”

I blushed despite myself under his gaze. “ _Haha_ , uh…if it’s any consolation, I don’t find you repulsive at all.”

For the first time, I saw him hesitate, as if he hadn’t been expecting my response. A smile pulled at the edges of his mouth, and soon that smug grin returned as if it never disappeared. “Your flattery isn’t lost on me, babe. Now, I believe it’s my turn to ask the question?”

I nodded, mentally preparing myself. It wasn’t as if I had anything to hide, but I felt under the microscope here. The only major thing I’d kept hidden thus far had been revealed and I was _still_ trying to come to terms with that.

“Hmmm,” He scratched his stubbly chin, golden freckles hiding behind his fingertips. “Oh! Shame I never asked before, but you’ll have to forgive me—do you have a name, human?”

At that, I paused. I had no clue how to respond.

“I, uh…don’t have one.” For some reason, I felt embarrassed. But I couldn’t just make something up on the fly. From what I could tell, names were a semi-long-term thing, and I didn’t want to be stuck with something stupid just because I couldn’t think of anything better in the moment.

“What?” Tamatoa furrowed his brows. “You’ve got to be kidding. Everyone has a name! How else will your admirers know when to quake in awe at the very mention of your presence?”

I stared at him, deadpan.

“…Ah. I forget, not everyone has my reputation. This will never do, darling. We have to call you _something_.”

“I’m not sure,” I’d never considered having a name of my own. Until now I’d never really had any real acquaintances, or anyone to talk to for that matter. “Maybe we could just start with a nickname? I’m new to all of this.”

“Fair enough. Let’s see, then…” I could tell he was concentrating, but not hard enough to produce lines on his smooth, gold-speckled face. “If you don’t wanna commit to anything right now, I can settle for pet names. It doesn’t matter to me as long as you don’t object, _mon trésor_.”

“That’s fine,” I smiled shyly. I didn’t really mind these nicknames, even if they were a tad embarrassing. Something told me Tamatoa wasn’t the type to be ashamed easily, anyway. If nothing else, his brazen flamboyancy made the atmosphere more comfortable. There was no such thing as overconfidence standing next to a guy like him. “Next question, then. How old are you?”

“Woof, way to get to a crab’s weak spot. I’m almost tempted not to answer.” This question appeared to make him frustrated, but I felt the humor behind his threat. “But I suppose there’s no way for you to know what youth is when it comes to crab anatomy. Compared to humans, anyway. You all live such fleeting lives.”

“You don’t have to tell me. The only humans I’ve ever seen around have been eaten within their first day.” I tried laughing but it came out nervously and sounded a bit choked. Tamatoa looked to be considering something as he sat across from me, his expression unreadable.

“Humans like you have been eaten right in front of your eyes,” He finally spoke. “Yet you still approached a monster with confidence. You’re either insane, or reckless enough to have the gods on your side.”

“Well, you haven’t eaten me. Yet.” I grinned up at him openly. “There’s a reason I’ve survived almost twenty years alone down here.”

This caught his attention.

“ _Twenty_ , you say?” He raised one of his thick eyebrows. “Guess that answers my follow up question.”

“You still haven’t answered mine!” He pretended not to hear me. “Spit it out! You know how old I am, and you didn’t even have to ask!”

“I believe you mentioned passes were allowed before this game started?” _Ah, my fatal mistake._ That didn’t mean I couldn’t get something out of this, though.

“Whatever, crabcake. As long as you have no problem being in debt to me, I’ll let it slide.” I scooted closer, so our knees were nearly touching. “Your turn. Ask anything.”

Tamatoa took notice of our proximity, but if it bothered him he didn’t show it.

“Anything, you say?” He had a way of looking at me that trapped my vision, not allowing me to look anywhere else but _at him_ when he spoke. “Answer this, then. Why’d you come to save me?”

 _Oof_. That was one I had barely begun to answer myself. Did I tell him the truth, or just say I was passing by and decided to be a good Samaritan? Hardly a correct statement considering I ran yards out of my way just to see him, abandoning half-collected supplies in my stupor.

“It was your voice. I heard it from far away.” I started slowly, fiddling with my gloves. _To build trust, you gotta tell the truth._ “For some reason, it pulled me. You sing so beautifully, and I’d never heard anything like it. I guess it entranced me, in a way. When I saw what happened I couldn’t bear to just leave you there. I wanted to talk to you, to hear you speak to me. It sounds selfish, but I wanted to be noticed by you, even if I was taking a risk.”

A faint smile impressed itself on my face, and I stared down into my lap to hide it. “That’s all I thought about, really. If I could be of any help to someone who moved me like that, I could have a moment of happiness, even if I had to run away afterwards.”

That was a satisfying reply, or as satisfying as I could make it out to be. It was as close to what had gone through my head as I could get when it came to explaining it out loud.

When I raised my head again, I saw my companion gawking down at me, his blue eyes widened just slightly enough for me to notice small flecks of light shining through them. I began to feel my nerves grip me. Had I overshared? Was it weird that I admired his singing so much? Ah jeez, I’d really messed up, spilling this much emotion out when I’d only known the crab for mere hours. Looks like I was doomed to be friendless for the rest of my—

My meddling thoughts were once again halted by the voice of reason. Unexpectedly, this voice happened to be Tamatoa’s.

“Babe, that’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever heard.” I swallowed the lump in my throat, surely looking relieved on the outside as well. I tend to curl in on myself when self-conscious, which proved to be a common occurrence around my new friend. He reached a hand out to curl one of his ringed fingers through a strand of my hair, half-lidded eyes trained on my own glimmering golden ones. “Tell me, do you really find me so irresistible?”

“I-I mean…” My heart thudded against its will in my ribcage. I was hyper-aware of the small tug his finger drew from the lock of hair fit snug around it. “I do really admire you—your singing, anyway. And you haven’t eaten me, or hurt me at all, so…”

I found it hard to continue with all of his attention on me. I was starting to believe that was his goal; to render me speechless in his presence.

“Hmm…” He hummed lowly, and unstrung his grip from my hair. “Can’t say you have bad taste in idols, _mon cher_. If you’re going to worship anyone, it might as well be me.”

I could hear the grin in his voice. My heart still hadn’t caught up to itself.

“Y’know, I think it’s time we move onto _something else_.” Tamatoa rose, offering a hand to pull me up, which I accepted. His strength continued to surprise me. I was hefted upwards almost immediately, but with grace. As mighty as he was gentle, when he wanted to be. “If you think we’ve succeeded in getting to know each other a little better, you’ve got to indulge me a tiny bit, hon’.”

“Please don’t dress me up like some kind of gold statue, I can’t wear that much without sinking into the sand.”

“Who said anything about gold? I save that stuff for special occasions. And myself, of course. But who’s to say I’m not a special occasion in itself?” He chuckled. “No, babe, I have something else in mind for you.”

With a small wink, Tamatoa turned away from me and started off with confidence towards a specific section of his treasure horde, sorting through something I couldn’t see very well. From here, I could definitely tell it was a chest of sorts. He looked to be scrutinizing items very closely, pulling at them and sifting his dove-like hands across their various textures.

After a small amount of time spent waiting for him to return with his collection, he finally presented three items of clothing to me, smiling broadly. The glint of a golden tooth peeked out from behind his lips.

“Here, take these. On the house. Next time, _you’ll have to pay_.” He wiggled an eyebrow suggestively.

I took the articles from his outstretched arms, which included: a black shirt with no sleeves to pull over my chest, a traditional Maori skirt, and a pair of sandals with golden borders and small ornate symbols drawn into the sole. I felt like I had just been gifted something enormous, but I knew this was probably nothing in comparison to the rest of his inventory.

“Well, opinions?” Tamatoa looked at me expectantly. “I think they’ll suit you.”

“Th-thank you,” I quirked a smile as best I could, feeling rather sheepish. “I appreciate all of this. Where do I…?”

He blinked, unmoving.

“I need somewhere to change.”

“Oh!” I watched him scan the area, spotting a hidden alcove surrounded by overgrown coral near the back of the cave. “There, you see? That looks like enough to cover you. I swear, you humans and your modesty never fail to confuse me. Very well, go change. And _don’t_ keep me waiting.”

He turned his back for good measure, probably to keep me at ease knowing he wouldn’t be peeking. Not that I thought he would—I’d just become accustomed to undressing in private. I felt exposed enough without my mask as it was.

I didn’t want to make him impatient, especially since he’d gifted me with new clothing, so I made my way behind the coral. I felt safe regardless of the fact the giant pink fossil was designed by nature to have many holes.

My clothes came off easily, though I had to struggle with some parts. Sometimes if I went awhile without washing or mending my them, they got stuck. The shoes I’d made myself were worse for wear, so I was glad to finally have an excuse to bid them farewell. All in all, I felt good. Maybe even a bit cleaner, after dragging my old rags off. I could tell Tamatoa had paid attention to what he picked for me, as everything was just to my size and wasn’t too showy or eye-catching. I appreciated his thoughtfulness.

I stuffed my old clothes into my bag next to my discarded mask, then stepped out from behind the coral. He was still standing there with his back to me. I could hear a small tune being hummed, almost too soft to pick up, but it was there. His voice had a way of finding my ears.

Making the stealthiest movements possible, I crossed over to him, careful not to slip on any loose rocks. He was tapping his foot, nodding his head a little bit, a melody sweet and carefree thrumming in his chest. I was very close now. Even then, he didn’t notice when I walked right up behind him. Either he wasn’t as alert as I previously thought, or he was humoring me.

“That’s a lovely song.” I spoke softly, announcing my presence.

Tamatoa jumped a little, but recovered fast.

“You cheeky little _minx_. Has anyone ever told you how rude it is to eavesdrop?” He turned around, aiming to chew me out over surprising him again, but was stopped when he saw my outfit change. “Ooh! What have we here?”

“Thank you again, I-I’ve never owned clothes like these before...” I beamed cheerily. It would take me awhile to pay him back for his kindness.

“You can call me Tama, babe. If we’re gonna be hanging out, I’ll get sick of hearing the full thing all the time, as much as I _do_ love having my name shouted.” Tamatoa cocked his hips, his skirt sliding ever so slightly to the side. “Don’t get a big head, though. I don’t just let anyone use that nickname. It’s a _privilege_.”

“Yes, sir—I mean… _Tama_.” It felt strange to use his name like that, but I supposed he was right. If we were going to spend time together, I wanted us both to be comfortable.

“See? It’s cute when you say it.” My tall companion raised a hand to pet my head, pausing once he did. “Y’know, maybe your clothes aren’t the only things that need…redoing.”

“What do you mean?”

“ _I mean_ your hair. It needs serious washing, babe.”

 _Ah_. That made sense, considering I hadn’t attempted to bathe that particular part of me in quite some time. Constantly wearing a mask meant it had become less of a priority.

“S-Sorry, I know it’s a mess. I haven’t been this long without my mask since…well, forever.” He squinted down at me, looking mildly annoyed.

“There’ll be no more mask-wearing while I’m around. You’re going to take proper care of yourself if you’re gonna be seen with me.” That last part sounded like a threat, but I saw him smile. “C’mere, I know how to fix it.”

Again, I was following Tama’s directions. We went off to a small indent in the cave wall, almost completely hidden by the foliage and lighting. I was reminded once again how many secrets the cavern actually held. There looked to be naturally made shelves inside the rocky shelter, housing various usable items and shiny gold-ornamented tools. He picked up a brass-plated brush with a silver handle from the tallest shelf, blowing some stray sand off its surface.

“Haven’t used these things in a while, not since I was last this size.” He spoke thoughtfully. “They aren’t really of any use to me, but now that you’re here maybe they can be.”

Tamatoa nodded to a spot just inside the carved-out space, and we both sat like we had been earlier.

“Turn around, hon’. I can’t get to your hair like this.” I felt his hand on my shoulder, encouraging me to move. I swiveled around easily and took a deep breath. I couldn’t see him, but I trusted him.  Yesterday, I didn’t dream of doing this with anyone, let alone one of the biggest monsters in Lalotai. Yet here I was. I felt hopeful for once. Like things could get better, as long as I had someone there. An even bigger bonus if they could protect me, and I knew he could if he wanted. I’d just have to earn my keep in return—might even have the chance to earn his friendship for _good_.

 _Or more_ , a small thought bubbled in the back of my brain. It surprised me so much I felt my shoulders twitch.

“You alright, babe?” I heard Tama’s voice from behind me. It was strange hearing him so close and yet not being able to see him.

“Y-Yeah, I’m good.”

“I’m gonna try to clean this absolute _rat’s nest_ you call hair, which means it might hurt when I get to the knots. Be a dear and tell me if I pull too hard, humans are so breakable.” I nodded, though I doubted he would hurt me too much. Seeing his human hands move so closely, I could tell they were delicate but purposeful. Every moment had a meaning, whether it be to display grace or grab an opponent by the neck until they surrendered.

Those same hands began their journey in mending my tangled bedhead. I felt his fingers against my scalp, pushing my head ever so slightly forward. They explored every knot I had ignored and left in disarray since the last time I attempted trimming any of it, and pulled it all back away from my face so my cheeks and ears felt the cool air of the cave. He stroked the length of my hair downwards so it all fell against my neck, and began brushing. Slowly first, and then firmer each time he drew the bristles through.

Feeling his hands against me made me realize just how touch starved I had been. The way I had _always_ been. I almost involuntarily closed my eyes, I was so relaxed into his touch. The only other times I had experienced anything close to another being’s warmth against my own was when I came upon hot springs somewhere along Lalotai’s cliffs, places I couldn’t normally go during the daytime for fear of being caught or chased away. This was altogether a new feeling, one that I wasn’t sure I was free to enjoy as much as I was currently. If I leaned a little too much into him, or angled my head so I could feel more of his palm against my neck, that was my business.

Alas, it was over too soon. Pleased with his work, he pulled me up with him and flipped the hairbrush around so I could see myself on its small brass surface. My eyes glowed brightly back at me, almost obscuring the vision of the rest of my face, but I still noticed the difference. He had gotten every blasted tangle out somehow, and my hair no longer crowded my face. I could see clearer without the wayward strands jutting into my eyes.

“This is…incredible.” I couldn’t help but smile, touching the soft edges of my hair like I was feeling them for the first time. “It’s never been like this before.”

“That’s why I’m the _master_.” Tamatoa applauded himself. “I don’t have human hair most of the time but I know style, and more importantly _self-hygiene_.”

 “I’ll get better about that in the future, hopefully. I appreciate the favor.” I scratched the back of my neck guiltily.

Tamatoa smirked, pulling my chin up with a finger. “Only the best for you, _mon trésor_.”

If he caught me blushing, he didn’t say anything about it.

While Tama returned the brush to its place on the shelf, the sounds of nighttime approached outside. I could tell from years of spending entire nights awake, waiting for dawn to break so I could find a new place to either make a home or find food. The cacophony was nearly deafening in some areas, then peaceful in others, but it was scattered for the most part. I could hear the sounds of many monsters and plants moving about in the approaching darkness, and I felt myself stiffen. My instinct was to hide when the sun stopped shining over Lalotai, yet I was in unfamiliar territory. I wasn’t sure how safe I was, even in the presence of someone who could decimate any potential enemy on sight.

Tamatoa seemed to catch onto my fear. “What’s wrong, babe? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I wanted to reply, but staring into the open mouth of the cave was all I could do. I was mesmerized by the motion of the sun setting. My brain kept telling me, _you need to be ready if something happens. In Lalotai, anything can happen at any moment._ It was a survival mantra that had kept me breathing my entire life and was hard to abandon so suddenly.

He followed my line of sight, and a dawn of realization fell upon his features. He turned to me, standing himself in front of the impending darkness outside.

“Listen,” He stooped down to my level, face almost directly in front of mine. “Nothing’s gonna come in here, ‘cause if they do, a giant monster is going to eat them _alive_. Got it?”

He waited for me to respond, so I tried my best to deliver a small nod. I was still trying to regain a sense of calm. By now, I’d usually be in one of my many hiding places, waiting for a safe time to sleep. The places that hadn’t been found and occupied by something else, that is. I’d learned to double check those the hard way.

“I’m going to take this off for now, babe,” I heard Tama say as he reached for his pearl necklace. “It’s clear you’re afraid of _something_. Doesn’t matter what it is, because you’re in here now. _Not out there_. Anything with half a brain wouldn’t dream of entering the lair of Tamatoa.”

He motioned for me to step back, then slid the small necklace off. Just like that, a popping noise echoed in the air, and pinkish smoke evaporated around us both. I almost couldn’t make out my surroundings, until I noticed the pink pearl. It was back to its usual size, fallen mutely next to me. When the smoke dissipated, I was greeted by Tamatoa once more. Only this time he was about 43 feet taller and had giant pincers.

“Ugh, that feels _so much better_.” He drawled, wiggling his eyes stalks as if to reanimate the nerves inside them. “Can’t tell you how much I missed being bigger than everything around me.”

With a small warning this time, he reached down with one of his claws and pulled me up, letting me adjust myself in his grasp so I wasn’t hanging like a wet noodle.

“Feel better now, human?” His voice felt bigger and rounder now that he was back to normal, but it hadn’t lost its lulling tone. I felt ease return to my mind.

“Much.” Was my single, sleepy reply. I’d had more social interaction than I’d had in a lifetime in one day, and felt mentally drained for the first time in years.

“Good. It’s been a busy day for us both, hm?” Tamatoa settled himself down onto the bed of his cave, facing outwards into a now darkened Lalotai. “Here…”

I was sat down on the back of Tama’s neck, right where his skin was soft and his treasure-speckled shell didn’t poke into me. I slid down with my knees to my chest, curling into a ball.

“One more thing,” His voice rumbled below me. With a quick but resounding _bang_ of his claw against the wall, the remaining light in the cave dwindled. An opening above slid shut, covering the cave in darkness. The vegetation that grew on the walls of the cavern and Tamatoa himself came alive, however. As if I could have forgotten his bioluminescence. In that way, we were connected. My eyes could glow just as brightly as his entire being could in the dark of the night. I could see my eyes reflect on Tama’s skin, mixed amongst the shining pink and purple speckles scattered along his neck. It was strange to feel so in tune with someone I barely knew. I felt that I’d never meet someone like Tamatoa ever again, even if I lived to be a hundred.

“You alright up there?” Tama reached one of his antennae around to locate me, and I laughed when the glowing appendage brushed against my nose.

“Yeah,” I calmed myself, letting a yawn overtake me for a moment. “Goodnight, Tama. Thanks for everything.”

For a moment, the world was still, and I felt entirely at peace. My eye closed and I began to drift.

“Goodnight, _petite chéri_.” The vibration of Tamatoa’s deep voice enveloped me in slumber. _“Je vous remercie.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lots of french crab boy hhhhhhh
> 
> clothing notes:  
> for the skirt i sorta imagined [the one this person is wearing](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/92/19/d2/9219d249fe74149d8b97a56be05de08f.jpg) (i thought about a grass skirt but realized tama might have actual dyed cloth in his horde somewhere)
> 
> and for the shoes i looked up [these](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/9a/e4/a5/9ae4a583833811739bc99b41d7d0a781--cleopatra-sandals.jpg) (i realize these shoes are egyptian and not traditionally oceanic, but they looked the closest to what i wanted them to be)
> 
> the crop tank top is just black since everything else already has a lot of colors and patterns. i hope to draw the reader sometime! im just not sure how to make them ambiguous to everyone? and i definitely dont want them to seem like an oc, even though that looks to be the way its going. 
> 
> ANYWAY!! feedback is encouraged and welcome! thank y'all for reading and for being patient w/ me


	3. Tahae Tahaetia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As weird as it looks from the outside, you and Tamatoa develop a sort of domesticity together. Unsurprisingly, something goes wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay PLEASE dont be mad at me,,, i know this update is several looooong months late. you dont have to listen to my excuses, but here they are: i had planned to update all summer break, but the plot wasnt making any headway because i had terrible creative frustration (in both writing and my art, so i was real depressed hhhh). despite this, i really wanted to write the best chapter i could, even if it meant a sentence a day. in the end, the chapter is only getting done now that schools back when i have even less free time to spend on it, but hey! as long as it gets done somehow!
> 
> tldr; im very sorry, i know a lot of fics are cursed with never being updated because we've all got lives to deal with, i just didnt think the task of writing what i wanted would be quite so daunting,,,, live and learn i guess. 
> 
> thank you for sticking with me if youre still here. you may not believe me (and rightly so), but i have plans for this fic. they just have to be written in time :')

There weren’t any dreams I could remember. Not that I remembered many on the off-chance I had them. Mostly, there were just nightmares. What bothered me (or what shouldn’t have bothered me) was that when I awoke that morning, I didn’t feel the last dregs of one floating around my head, like a bad storm on an open sea. I was confused, though. I wasn’t in the last cave I had picked for a hiding spot. I was warm, calm, and drowsy after opening my eyes. It was a strange and outlandish experience for me.

I sat up and began stretching, noticing that none of my joints felt out of place or bent after so many nights of sleeping in between rocks and weeds. They felt like they weren’t my own, and a night of lying on pebbles wouldn’t have given me such pleasantly unexpected results.

These were my first clues that something had changed.

Though my vision was blurry, after blinking my eyes several times at the ceiling it became clear enough for me to look around. My bag was still at my side carrying the various things I used for tools, safety or entertainment. I thought about my small, amateurly constructed guitar stuffed haphazardly inside. I could see the small tufts of fur and plants from my mask peeking out of the opening, and furrowed my brow.

_Why wasn’t my mask on?_

A grumbling noise rolled below me.

_…Ah._

For some reason I had assumed it a fantasy. Various remnants of dreams I couldn’t remember on their own, so my brain had pieced together an entirely different story. I should’ve known Lalotai was far too bizarre and my imagination much too stinted for it to be make-believe.

I was sleeping on a giant crab.

It was almost startling how unconcerned I was upon realizing this. Yet, I knew who this crab was. Tamatoa was my friend. He had kept me safe all night, and let me stay with him. There was no reason to be afraid, unless I suddenly developed a phobia of vanity. His was so infectious it almost seemed impossible not to find charming.

Tamatoa was still slumbering, which was understandable since judging by the scant amount of light outside, it was very early in the morning. The beings of the night were squaring themselves away, crawling back into the bowels of the underworld to lurk until dark fell again. The light eased my nerves enough for me to peek up over Tama’s sleeping eye-stalks to see further.

It was a bit of a ways down due to his enormous height, but his head was propped upon his pincers, so if I wanted to get down without waking him, I could possibly use them as a stairway. Assuming he didn’t immediately notice my movement, that is. Looking through his previous track record of repeatedly _not_ noticing me, I felt confident.

Making sure my bag was held securely at my side, I slid one hesitant foot down the side of Tama’s neck, aiming to fall silently to the right pincer some six feet below me. I was about average height, and this sort of leap was no big deal for someone with my background of constant physical activity, but I still wanted to be careful. This mission required strategy. I braced myself and slid the way down using the edge of Tamatoa’s glittering shell to stay balanced.

Once I reached my destination, I had to figure out the rest of the way to the ground.  There were small bumps and spikes littered across Tama’s claw, probably useful for climbing. I glanced over to his face to see if he was still asleep, and watched his eyes twitch in the midst of a dream. For a moment, I was curious. What could he be dreaming about?

I assumed gold and riches, not wanting to get off track. I could always ask him about his dreams when he woke up, whenever that happened. Though Tama’s pincers were rather large compared to my size, the smallish spikes on the bulk of them allowed for somewhat smooth travel. Surprisingly, it took no trouble to finally reach the sandy surface of the cave floor. It was colder than expected. I suddenly found myself missing the warmth Tamatoa’s skin provided.

Outside, light was slowly making its way down into the underbelly of Lalotai. This landscape was naturally dark—such was the normal disposition of spirit realms—but I found comfort in the fact that sunshine could make it through, even to the darkest depths of the underworld. Losing the sense of fear that had filled me the previous day, I walked to mouth of the cave and just sat, looking out over it all. I rarely got the chance to watch the scenery change under a sunrise, having to always be alert in case of danger. Before, there had been almost no time to actually enjoy the beauty of the world around me, but now maybe it could be different. There would always be worry in the core of me—it was my personality—but that didn’t mean I couldn’t find relief. Something told me it could be Tama had finally given me the chance for that relief, in the most surprising of ways.

“I seriously hope you aren’t thinking of running off.” A low, sleepy voice resonated behind me. “That would be _awfully_ stupid.”

I whipped my head around, gazing up at my newly awakened friend.

“G’morning, Tama.”

“Do you have _any idea_ how early it is? Or do humans always wake up at ungodly hours of the morning?” He blinked his bleary eyes one by one, erupting into a yawn that echoed across the entire cave. The sight of his gaping mouth only shook me a little bit, as opposed to the instant unease it instilled in me yesterday. I saw this as progress.

“I wouldn’t know.” I shrugged in reply. “I’m usually in the shadows right now, so any chance to see the morning light is a privilege.”

He quirked his mouth at this, as if he thought I were being facetious.

“You’re weird.” Tama took a deep breath before lifting himself up from his sleeping spot. The ground rumbled a bit when he shook sand from his underside. “I suppose I should wake up too then, if only to make sure you don’t run away.”

I watched him analyze the scenery outside. There were endless layers of ocean above, almost none of which I could see with my limited vision, but he seemed to know what he was looking for.

“Ohoho, looks like it’s just early enough for the _ika nui_ to come out!” Tamatoa glanced above him, knocking a claw into the wall as he had done the night before to lift the cover above his sparkling lair. “I usually don’t get them until later, when there aren’t as many. Beauty sleep comes before everything else, after all.”

He winked down at me, but I only rolled my eyes. Food might come second to a giant creature like him, but I would be lucky to have a full belly once a month at most. The promise of catching some _big fish_ had my stomach in anticipation, though.

So, when I saw the results of his glittering effort to attract unknowing fish and sea life down the watery tunnel above the cave, I had to take a moment and quell my instinct to grab as many as I could. Surface fish were rarely found on the floor of Lalotai, and if they were, they were either carcasses or partially eaten already. They knew better than to come near to the ceiling of this realm. I knew some monsters who dwelled here had evolved to grab those fish brave enough to venture too close.

And here Tamatoa was, having constructed an entire system that worked, and worked _well_. He had caught some in his waiting jaws but intentionally let some of the wayward creatures fall to the ground below. Among them were larger fish, like swordfish and giant tuna, and smaller ones that included ribbon eel and red snappers. They were very colorful to their credit but weren’t very smart to have only gone into dangerous territory for something shiny and glamorous…

_Then again, wasn’t that exactly what I’d done?_

 “Help yourself, babe,” I approached Tamatoa as he gorged himself on an early breakfast. “Plenty to go around down here. It’s easy eating when you’re your own meal ticket.”

“Thank you...” I spoke softly, still a bit shaken that I was being presented with enough food to last for weeks. My bewilderment didn’t stop me graciously accepting his offer of a good meal, though. Watching the plethora of sea creatures writhe in their final legs of life before me, I realized I’d need something to finish them off and prepare them to eat. Luckily, I had the tools for exactly that kept safely inside my bag.

I crouched down beside a collection of red snappers that were flopping around a larger specimen of the giant tuna, and gauged my prospects of wrangling it into submission before I ended it’s suffering for good. I pulled a lengthy knife out of my pack, fashioned from the sharp rocks that covered the cliffsides in Lalotai’s underbelly. I’d used it to cut rope and thick plants primarily, but the occasional kill demanded its use as well. Using the end of it to swipe away the thrashing snappers, I approached the tuna slow enough to measure when to strike before it whipped its body again in a last-ditch effort to escape its doom.

When an opening came, I seized the opportunity and leap upon the giant fish. I straddled it between my legs as best as I could to keep it from moving and once it was still, dug my blade through its thick head. The sharp edge was just enough to cut the tuna’s head off in a clean sweep so I knew it hadn’t had time to suffer before it passed for good. This brought me some small comfort, however odd the sentiment was with its blood on my hands.

Wiping my brow, I stood up and evaluated my work. All that needed to be done now was getting the meat off, then I could finally start on my own breakfast.

“How on _earth_ did you do that?”

Tama’s voice surprised me from above. I shifted my gaze from my work to see him gawking at me, clearly astonished.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t be _coy_ , I just saw you slice a fish’s head off in one stroke.” He looked at me like he was seeing me for the first time. It almost felt like he was impressed. “You’re a lot more murderous than you look, you know?”

“What, like you haven’t killed things before? I watched you swallow hordes of fish just like this.” I cocked a hip. “Not to mention all the humans you’ve claimed to have eaten.”

“That’s different. I’m a _monster_ , babe. I gotta eat a lot to maintain my figure.” Tamatoa smirked. “You, though? You’re human. The only thing I’ve seen humans do with fish that size is sweep them up in nets. It takes at least three of them, too.”

I took a moment to listen, wondering curiously what else Tama could tell me about his experiences with humans. The ones he hadn’t consumed, anyway.

“Well…” I glanced down at the bloodied knife in my grasp. “I’m not like the others. I’ve had to live down here on my own, and its not easy. You either kill or be killed, no matter what it takes.”

Returning to the recently deceased tuna beneath me, I sensed Tamatoa’s gaze on my form, but didn’t feel uneasy. If anything, I felt a bit cool. That was new. I’d never impressed someone before, not that I had ever found the chance to.

Before too long, I had the giant tuna cleaned of its meat, and had it held in front of me like a buffet. I sat down in front of it, thinking. I’d had to eat raw meat many times in my life. It was quick and convenient, especially when running or hiding from other predators chasing the smell of a fresh kill.

But now, things were different. I had time, space, and most importantly, _protection_. If I wanted to, I could cook this and make it ten times better, and less of a risk to consume. I’d only had the luxury of cooking food over fire a seldom few times in the past, but a cooked meal always settled in my stomach easier than anything I could eat without prior preparation. I remembered those meals in detail – they were cherished memories, as far as food was concerned.

“Um, Tama?” I peered up at my giant friend, who was finishing the last of his morning feast.

“What is it, _mon trésor_?” He turned to face me better and knelt down as much as he could to hear me better. “Tell me your needs and I shall deliver.”

I tried not to stammer from embarrassment at his openly affectionate language. It was going to take some time to get used to that.

“I want to, uh… make a fire. To cook the fish. Is that okay?” I felt like I was asking permission from royalty, and not someone I clearly wished to be my companion. Though I supposed Tamatoa would like to be treated as royalty either way.

His eyes widened slightly.

“You’re telling me you’ve done all this work, and you wanna do _even more_? You haven’t even started eating yet!” Tamatoa scoffed. “This is why you’re so thin, you don’t have time to eat when you’re so focused on the _preparation_.”

I stood up defiantly. “I’m not thin! Even if I were, it’s only because I’ve had to fight for every meal I’ve been given.” Realizing my angry tone would do me no good, I took a deep breath to calm myself. “Anyway, cooking food makes it taste better, and it’s easier to keep down. That’s just my opinion – you don’t have to listen to it. Can I make a fire or not?”

“You humans are so _fussy_.” Tamatoa sighed deeply, raising his head back to its resting level. “Be my guest, love. Just don’t make a mess.”

I almost made a quip about how a mess had already been made, clearly displayed by the amount of fish blood I’d spilled in the sand but quit while I was ahead. 

After being given allowance to pursue my ‘silly food ritual’, I quickly gathered useable materials from around the mouth of the cave. Dry, easily burnable plants could be seen easier in the late-morning light, as well as flint-like stones littered about the bottom of the cave’s exterior, left over from previous rock falls. Luckily some were just flat enough to be struck against each other and used for ignition.

When all the supplies had been gathered, I created a decent sized pile of dead plants, surrounded by smooth stones so the fire could be contained. Tamatoa came to sit beside me and watch the process, clearly amused at my ministrations.

I disregarded any attempts at condescension he shot towards me, striking my collected flint stones together to create a spark. It took a few tries, of course. The humidity in the air made any fire a struggle to bring to life, especially in Lalotai.

“Looks like you’re having some trouble there, darling.” Tama’s voice dripped with smugness. If I could swat him away I would, but I didn’t want to break my concentration.

On my tenth try, after the stones had been worn down considerably, a spark finally ignited, and emitted a glow beneath the plants.

“Yes!! Finally!” Not caring enough to contain the excitement at my own success, I pumped my fist in the air. I heard Tama’s rumbling chuckle at my side.

“You’re quite charming, you know?”

“ _Am not_.” I shot him a glare. “I gotta celebrate the small things, otherwise life gets boring.”

“Hmm… I don’t think I’ll ever figure you out, but your thoughts are entertaining. Carry on, _mon cher_.” Tama winked, watching me expectantly.

I speared cuts of tuna on the knife I’d used before and held them above the open flame. Fortunately, fish cooked faster than other tougher animals, and I was able to cook at least five pieces fairly quickly.

Biting into the first I’d completed, I found myself unable to hold back the moan that escaped my throat. The taste and smell invaded my senses. It had been ages since I’d tasted good, warm food. I was so besotted I didn’t even mind the bewildered expression on Tamatoa’s face as I dug into my meal. I just wanted to fill myself, not bothering to pick out stray bones I hadn’t removed before cooking.

“Well, well, well,” Tama’s bemused face told me he was relishing this. “Aren’t we a hungry one?”

“Quiet,” I barely had time to respond between bites. “You’d understand if you had any interest in food that isn’t _raw_ and _cold_.”

“Mm, but I might.” I hesitated for a moment. “You look like you’re enjoying yourself. Maybe this whole ‘cooking’ thing has some merit after all, hm?”

Oh, _now_ he listens to me. After I’ve done all the work and proved that its worth it. Figures.

“I don’t suppose you… wanna try a bite?” I ventured.

“Oh my, what a gracious host! You’d really offer me part of the meal you’ve spent hours slaving over? Imagine that, giving up something like that to a giant crab monster. You must think so highly of me!”

His faux modesty was almost too much.

So, I played along.

“Y’know, you’re right! This is just too good to share with anyone else.” I stuck my nose in the air to seem aloof, picking up the remaining tuna to relocate myself. “Surely you understand, with all this treasure lying around. Sharing just doesn’t come easy, does it?”

I heard him gasp and I stifled a laugh. _That’s right, hit him in his weak spot._

“You think being cheeky is cute?” He scoffed after me. “Just because you’re kinda _endearing_ doesn’t mean you can say whatever you want, human.”

“Who’s the one that started this condescension ring, hm?” I sat myself on a solid pile of gold coins, far away from the fire and Tamatoa. “Hypocrisy doesn’t suit you, sir.”

I began stuffing my face again, idly watching as Tamatoa gazed after me. He looked to be thinking about something I couldn’t discern from his expression. I wondered if I had gone too far.

“C’mon, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”

“Pff, please, you couldn’t so much as _graze_ my ego, sweetheart.” _That_ I could believe. “No, I was just thinking… I haven’t had this much fun talking with someone in a long time.”

I paused my feasting to listen more intently.

“Friends aren’t something a lot of monsters down here have. Even if they do, its always for ulterior reasons. ‘Monsters don’t have hearts’ and all that emotional junk. It’s boring as hell.” He sighed. “Not to take the phrase ‘diamond in the rough’ too literally, but I don’t know how something like you has managed to scrape by surrounded with the filth that lives out there. It’s truly amazing.”

Something about Tama’s words felt oddly candid, like I was hearing something he’d ruminated about for a while. I didn’t really have a good response, so instead I stood and made my way over to his sitting form, where the fire was warm and inviting.

I stretched my arm upwards to him, holding the biggest of the tuna cuts I had leftover. Even though he’d been so intent on trying some before (however childishly he’d accepted my offer), he still looked surprised at me. Nevertheless, he leant down gently and opened his jaws to receive his gift. I felt a bit unsteady being so close to Tamatoa’s mouth, as it was closer than I’d ever been. Even so, I wanted to trust this closeness. His breath smelled horrid after eating so many fish, but I managed to pass the tuna into his mouth and quickly stepped back to take in fresh air and watch his reaction.

He couldn’t have been able to appreciate the cooked meat in all its glory, but he still looked appreciative of the new experience.

“I’ll admit, you humans are onto something. It didn’t taste half as bad as I expected.”

“Wow, your compliments flatter me! I’ll get a big head if you don’t stop.” My tone was emotionless but Tama still smirked at my sarcasm.

“Maybe you could cook for me again sometime, then we’ll see about a reward, hm?” It was enticing, but something told me his version of a reward would be either allowing me to ‘bask in his presence’ or something equally self-promoting. Either way, I relented.

I’d never eaten as much in one sitting as I had that morning and left myself with a full stomach and not a regret in sight. Still, it felt a shame to leave the rest of the fish laying around, so Tamatoa came to the rescue and disposed of the rest in his seemingly bottomless stomach.

The rest of it was left to me, of course. It was only fair – if I was going to stay here, I had to pick up after myself. It was around midday when I had finally cleaned everything up.

By then, I was beginning to feel a bit restless. It had been a while since I’d had down time like this and believe me I was more than grateful for the chance to relax a bit, but something about the stillness had me itching to do something. I wanted to get out into the wilderness outside, even with all of its daytime dangers. The predators were easier to see in the daytime, and easier to evade.

I had a few things to keep me busy in here of course, if Tama objected to me doing my regular exploring. He likely would, given his past worries about me escaping.

Until he felt up to go outside with me, I could find my own entertainment here. I sat my bag on the ground and pulled out my guitar. It could be fashioned a bit better, but I had colored it in blues, greens and yellows using flowers and other colorful plants to make it look a little more attractive. What really mattered was that it played well, and after meddling with some strings I had found a good sound I could play around with ease.

With musical talent, there came singing. My voice was nowhere as charming as Tama’s, but it worked for what little music I had made up on my own. Glancing behind me at where Tamatoa stood sorting through his horde, exchanging various pieces of treasure from the piles onto his shell, I estimated he wouldn’t be able to hear enough of my singing to really be bothered. So, I began.

 _“Here in the middle of imagination,”_ The first chord vibrated through me. _“Right in the middle of my head… I close my eyes, and my world’s not my world, and my head isn’t really my head._

_“I look inside and discover things that are sometimes strange and new, and the most remarkable thoughts I think have a way of being true!_

The music calmed me, as I’d played the song many times in the dead of night to relieve the chill from my bones. Playing music relieved everything, from sadness to fear and everything in between.

_“Here in the middle of imagination, right in the middle of my mind, I close my eyes and the night isn’t dark, and the things that I lose, I find!_

_“Time stands still and the night is clear, and the wind is warm and fair, and the nicest place in the middle of imagination’s when… I’m… theeeere…”_

So many hours had been spent playing songs for myself outside of others earshot, it was easy to forget my surroundings while playing the rest of the tune.

“What is that you’re singing, there?”

I jumped. Tamatoa was beginning to rival my current standing of catching him unawares.

“Ah, I didn’t mean to disturb you.” I ducked my head in embarrassment. Not a soul had heard my music before this moment, so I was hardly prepared. “It’s just a little something I wrote to calm myself during bad times. Nothing too special.”

“You could hardly disturb me with a voice like that, darling. How come you didn’t tell me sooner? We could be a duet!” Tama spoke excitedly, like he was seriously considering it. “Oh, but there’s no way we can harmonize correctly with you all the way down there. My voice is enormous, it fills entire rooms. A human voice, no matter how gorgeous it may be, has no chance against mine.”

Even when he was reasoning, he still managed to sound like he was gloating.

“However, I always have that trick up my sleeve. As soon as I swallow the pearl again,” He lowered his voice only slightly, but it was enough to make my cheeks flush. “I’ll be down there with you, and we can hear each other much _much_ better.”

“I think I’d like that.” I’d never had someone to sing with before. As much as Tama’s incredulous singing talent intimidated me, just being given a chance to sing alongside him was exciting. I only hoped I wouldn’t ruin it with my own off-tune warbling.

I watched him turn around to retrieve the pearl from where he’d laid it last night. If I were honest with myself, I would admit I was a little nervous. It sounds stupid, but Tamatoa’s crab form was somehow less intimidating than when he was near my size. Arbitrary, yes; I supposed it was because in his human-esque disguise he felt like more of an equal, which is saying something because even as a human he was larger and shinier than life. It caught me off guard every time we made direct eye contact, every time I could feel his warmth next to me. It didn’t feel so alien—it was off-putting in the best possible way, and how I felt about it scared me.

“Ugh!” A cry of disdain came from across the cave. Tamatoa looked to be rather annoyed, roughly sifting through his treasure horde. “Where is that stupid thing?”

“What’s wrong?” I hesitantly approached him, not wanting to get in range of his irritated pincers.

He didn’t pause to acknowledge me, but he did manage to reply through his huffing and gruffing.

“The pearl. It probably rolled off somewhere into the rest of my collection, because I can’t find it.” He sighed, then cast his eyes upwards in faux melancholy. “If only I had a tiny set of hands to help me, I’d be ever so grateful…”

I rolled my eyes.

“Y’know, all you have to do is ask for my help. You don’t have to guilt me into it.” I came closer to the massive pile of gold and trinkets, quickly realizing how hard it would be to find this thing. It was like finding a needle in a haystack, except the haystack is just more needles.

Suffice it to say, I wasn’t making a lot of progress. I was getting to be a little worried myself—the pearl was nowhere to be found.

Before too long, Tamatoa became impatient.

“Tiny hands are good for finding tiny things, but I should’ve known it would take ten times longer.” He griped from behind me. I stood up indignantly from where I was crouched to give him a glare.

“I’m trying my best. It’s impossible to find one shiny thing in a pile of bigger, shinier things!” Crossing my arms, I scanned over the rest of the horde. “You really need to organize in here. I don’t know how you find anything like this.”

After my complaining, I waited for Tamatoa to come back with some snarky comment about how fussy I was, or some other miscellaneous jab at my just criticism of his home. But it didn’t come. I turned around to look at him, surprised at his sudden silence.

His gaze was transfixed at something along the upper wall of the cave, his eyes squinted at first but then slowly widening as a dawn of realization flooded his countenance.

His jaw dropped open to let out a gasp.

“THAT SNEAKY WITCH!” I stumbled a few steps backwards. His frustration had turned into full blown anger. “I knew I couldn’t have been so clumsy! Ugh, I told her I’d kill her if I saw her in here in again. I was stupid to think she wouldn’t find a way back inside anyway…”

I was confused to say the least, not a clue what he was ranting and raving about.

“Who is ‘she’? What’s happened??” I followed his gaze to the higher wall, where the rocky mismatched steps lead. It was barely noticeable from where I stood low on the ground, but I could make out a craggy indent that hadn’t been obvious to me the first time I had climbed up there. _So, it was new._ The crack in the cave wall had obviously been worked on for a while given its smooth inward edges, and had only just breached the interior, leaving enough room for something to crawl through. The idea sent chills down my spine.

“This ‘she’ in question is the absolute _bane_ of my _existence_.” Tamatoa snarled. “Another monster that’s been lusting after that pearl for centuries. She thinks if she can get her hands on it, she’ll turn human forever. Completely _silly_ , of course. Who’d want to be stuck as a human forever?”

I raised an eyebrow up at him.

“No offense, babe, it’s just not most monsters style. Which is why she’s so _odd_.”

“So, this monster you’re talking about stole it? Is there any way to get it back?”

“She’s taken it before, but the last time that happened she was small. Weak. I could’ve snapped her in two no problem, and I probably should have…” Tamatoa groaned, obvious regret on his face. “Either way, her gross, totally _not shiny_ lair is far from here. She’s probably slid her slimy self back there already, pearl in hand.”

He slumped himself down, rested his chin on a pincer. It was obvious he was a little depressed about this, and combined with his earlier outburst, his upset was starting to infect me as well.

“I guess our little duet will have to wait, human. It’ll be impossible trying to find that slug out there. She’s almost like a rat… once she has her treasure, she hides away to make sure no one else can get at it.”

I wanted to make a point that Tamatoa was basically the same, but it occurred to me rats don’t really make a show of the horde they acquire. Comparing the two would only make his mood worse, and all I wanted to do was help. Seeing him so upset was getting to me.

“What’re you talking about?! We have to find her!” I came closer to him, making sure he could see my face. I didn’t continue until he looked me in the eye. “She took something of yours. Part of your _collection_. You can’t just let her get away with that!”

He squinted at me, mouth drawn up in a sneer.

“And just how do you propose we do that, _mortal_?”

“Are you kidding?!” I almost jumped in frustration. “You’re Tama-fricking-toa! Just yesterday I saw you wallop on some humans who tried to take something _else_ from you, and you almost had them! Err… I mean, yeah they got away, but uh…”

Tama growled.

“But! I’m sure if they didn’t, you would’ve had them.” I knew bringing that up might have been putting salt in the wound, but if it could get Tamatoa’s fighting spirit back I’d take the risk. He looked to be considering my words, however distastefully. “Look, I’ve only known you for a couple days, so yeah, I obviously don’t know you down to your bones, but what I _do_ know… is that you’re stubborn as hell, and you don’t let people treat you this way.”

Something lit inside his mismatched pupils, but I knew I still had to draw him further.

“Look, I’ll go with you. We can be a team. I’m tiny, yeah? Like you said, I can get into small places, and find tiny things. I can also _fight_. You’ve seen me take on something twice my size. True, it was a near-dead fish on the ground, but I promise I’ve defeated much worse.” I couldn’t help but smirk with pride. “But what am I saying? A giant monster like you doesn’t even need a sidekick. You’re fearsome all on your own.”

My hands found their way to the pincer he currently rested his chin on and ran over the bumps and spikes speckling its base.

“C’mon, big guy. Let’s have an adventure.”

I looked up into his impossibly blue eyes once more to try and retrieve him from within them.

 _A-ha!_ The glimmer I saw there began to grow after a beat, and I was gifted with another one of Tamatoa’s signature self-satisfied smiles.

“You keep surprising me in the best of ways, _mon ami_.” Tama raised himself out of his momentary depression, his stance once again resolute and his gaze determined. “Alright! You’ve convinced me. Let’s go teach that snake a lesson about messing with the _King of Lalotai_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ** the song reader sings is “imagination” sung by ernie from sesame street! **
> 
> i hope that was okay!!!! im trying my best to stay in character, or at least my interpretation of the character for continuity's sake, so hopefully this chap wasn't too off-beat or drawn out. i have the "too much" gene and always end up writing more than necessary, so apologies if thats the case here. 
> 
> thank you for reading if you do! i love you all!!!


	4. Fosse aux Serpents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt begins fervently and ends in disaster, as most things do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!! (im two hours late but!! points for trying!) apologies for my upload schedule which doesn't really exist :') i thought it would be nice to finally update in spirit of today though, so i got my ass in gear and wrapped my draft up. it hasn't been combed through yet so if anything sounds wrong i promise im in the process of fixing it! just wanted to get it out as soon as i finished. 
> 
> ALSO!! ive been going back and editing chapters here and there! i finally did a good sweep and rewrote/fixed some previous stuff for length, grammar, readability and concise language. if you wanna reread from the beginning and see if it feels better, let me know so i can see if im doing the right thing! as always thank you for reading and supporting this fic 💖

It was wild outside as usual. Realm of the monsters, after all. The only thing that comforted me about our imposing quest was that it began in the daytime (relative daytime, as this world was almost always a constant state of dark and dank and dim). Most of the more insidious creatures slumbered or hid away from the filtered sunlight, many of them being nocturnal.

Yes, that was a reassuring thought. And well… I did have a giant monster crab on my side. Larger than life and ten times as powerful than a lot of the grotesqueries that inhabited Lalotai’s seabed.

I stood at the mouth of the cave, shuffling through my bag as Tamatoa’s rumbling steps sounded behind me. My fingers finally grazed what I was looking for, its wooden sides comforting and familiar. I pulled my mask out, almost startled at it. In all my life I’d never been this long without wearing it, or at the very least having it at the ready, strapped safely on my back. It was safe and reassuring. With some amount of decorum, I raised it up to my face, peering through the hidden eye holes. A large sigh of relief left me almost involuntarily, causing Tamatoa to peer down once he’d made his way over.

“Hey, small pint, what did I say about the mask thing?” He looked at it with disdain. “It’s _literally_ the only rule we talked about. Isn’t that hard to follow, babe.”

“We’re going outside, though. There are other creatures out there—I can’t let them see what I am.” I furrowed my brow at him. “I didn’t even wanna let you see, remember?”

“Unfortunate, truly.” He scowled before an amused smile slid across his face. “That does make me the first though, hmm? To see you just as you are. _Face and all_.”

I looked away, cheeks heating up. “D-Don’t get a big head about it.” _Bigger head_ , that is. “It’s not like it’s a high honor or anything.”

“Whatever you say, babe. Just glad no one has anything on me.” His tone was self-applauding but I had no idea why. I dismissed it. He was always looking for something to boost his ego.

“Can we leave now? The sooner we find the pearl the better. Who knows what it’s being used for if its where you think it is.” I grabbed onto his leg, swiftly mounting him like I’d done it a thousand times before. Odd how natural it felt, but I welcomed the easiness of it.

“You really aren’t going to leave the mask off, are you?”

“We aren’t in the cave technically. Rules don’t exist out here.” He knew that well enough, but still grumbled something unintelligible and gave in.

We took off at a steady pace down the hill and into the jungle’s underbelly. I couldn’t help but peer over the sides of Tamatoa’s shell to see smaller creatures scatter out of his path. It sent a powerful chill up my spine when I compared this to the struggle I’d always felt getting around on my own at a considerably lower height, without a giant bodyguard to accommodate me.

“Doing okay up there?”

“Yeah, it’s just so different up here.” I laid back on my hands and took in the view. Despite its inherently sinister nature, Lalotai was capable of beauty. You just had to look past the raw brutality of its exterior. It was another way of life—an entirely different world from the surface. I supposed that was by design. Monsters didn’t really fit in with humans as far as I knew.

Then again… there I was. Tama and I managed to hit it off well despite our obvious differences.

I scooted forward a bit so my feet touched the back of his neck, trying to get my balance. His walking pattern was stable enough but it was rather bumpy considering he had 5 legs moving in tandem. He shivered a bit at the contact and I was surprised he even felt it, it was so light a touch.

“What, you ticklish or something?” I chuckled.  

“You couldn’t tickle me if you _tried_ , you tiny thing.” He swiveled an eye back at me. “Definitely not with those small appendages you’ve got sticking out of you.”

“Is that a challenge?” I raised my mask slightly and shot him a mischievous glance, staring his wayward eye down. He immediately withdrew and faced forward again. “What’s that? The _great and shiny Tamatoa_ can’t handle a puny mortal’s hands wiggling at him?”

“You can try, but I can’t say what the consequences will be if you _somehow_ manage it.” There was a playful threat under his words, which engaged me.

“Oh, you _asked for this_.” I hooked my mask back on and swung a leg under the cusp of Tama’s shell, propelling my body downwards to get a good grab at my companion’s chubby neck.

“Hey, what do you think you’re— ** _pffFHAH!_** ”

It was almost _instant_. He stopped walking as soon as my hands began their attack.

Tamatoa’s laugh was even deeper up close, the full vibrations nearly shaking me from my grip. That didn’t stop my assault, though, hands scattering across the soft flesh under Tama’s chin.

“ **HAHAHAH—GODS, YOU—pfFFfT—you LITTLE—ghhHahaHA—COME _HERE!_** ” I had been so focused on keeping my grip that I hadn’t noticed him grabbing at me with his pincer from behind. He snipped me up before I could fight it and brought me up in front of him, out of breath. He glared at me but I could see mirth in his eyes. It was clear he hadn’t expected me to take his half-hearted dare.

“Guess you aren’t a match for these puny mortal hands after all, huh?” I let myself be smug as hell. I might have been able to sleep on the back of Tama’s neck without disturbing him, but the space underneath was a confirmed weak spot.

Tamatoa huffed, trying to fight a smile and put on his best annoyed face. “You try that again and we’ll see just who wins the next round. Last time I checked, claws aren’t too delicate on human skin.”

I put my hands up placatingly. “Alright, alright! No more funny business, I get it.”

“Good.” His smile returned. “Now cooperate and stop wiggling around back there, yeah? Its hard to keep track of a small thing like you when you’re moving every five seconds.”

He gingerly lifted me back onto the front of his shell, not letting go until I patted the back of his head in confirmation. I grinned to myself. Sure, claws aren’t delicate on humans. In fact, they’ll rip you to shreds. Unless those claws happen to belong to a certain big, shiny, self-absorbed _softie_.

 

+

 

I can’t say how much longer we went on like that. It didn’t feel like we’d been journeying for a huge while, but I suspected that was only because we had been talking almost the entire way. It was during a comfortable silence when I felt Tamatoa stop. I had nearly dozed off, but I jolted upright when I saw where we were.

I’d never visited this part of Lalotai before. There were some _very_ scary and _very_ dark areas of the underworld, but this took the entire damn cake. I counted my blessings I hadn’t come across this place alone. The landscape was characterized by a jagged, rocky sea bottom littered with bones and the collapsed remains of manmade ships. Twisting spires of black coral wound upwards and around each other to form a dark nettled forest across most of what we could see. Ahead was a sharp obsidian cliff with many holes gnawed into its side. It was obvious they led somewhere deeper into the rock, but I decided not to think about that too hard to save myself the nerves. I got a sinking feeling this was where our culprit resided.

 “Hey, Tama…” My voice was small but his antennae perked up anyway. “Where are we?”

“This her lair. The monster who probably has her slimy paws all over my pearl right now.” Tamatoa grit his teeth, face pinching in disgust. “ _Nakahi_.”

Her name caught my attention. Nakahi meant _serpent_. If she was anything that her name implied, I wasn’t sure I wanted to meet her. Tamatoa was determined to get his pearl back, though. I didn’t really have a choice in following him or not. He was my only protection and I had no idea how to get back to where we came. So, I held on tight as he advanced.

Navigating the dense coral as just about as easy as expected. There was no clear path to be found, so we had to make our own. Even with Tama’s pincers at play, the plant matter was hard to break through and get around. Tamatoa worried over the treasure on his back, paranoid of getting scrapes or losing precious items. I volunteered as Official Shell Lookout (truly a high and mighty title). I warned him when he got too close to a coral bundle and grabbed things that threatened to fall off. This made it hard for me to gauge how far we’d come or where we were in the maze of coral, but Tama looked like he knew what he was doing.

“ _Ugh_ … there was less of this junk last time I was here.” He groaned, clamping down extra hard on a limb of coral in front of him. “Honestly! Look at this mess. A person who can’t keep their lair aesthetically pleasing doesn’t deserve one in the first place.”

I wanted to argue his lair wasn’t exactly the tidiest either, but he hadn’t exactly judged this place on how neat it was. Aesthetics wise, it certainly fit the persona of a shadowy, villainous thief. Perhaps anything that wasn’t shiny or golden just didn’t live up to Tamatoa’s standards.

It occurred to me then that I knew next to nothing about Nakahi, outside of her lust for humanity and hobby of sneaking into caves to steal precious items. The thought of her crawling through Tama’s cave in the dark of the night sent chills up my spine. A small part of me wondered if she’d noticed me at all.

“What’s she like? Nakahi?”

“As if you even have to _ask_.” Tamatoa scoffed and kept trudging forward. “She’s only the vilest creature in all of Lalotai. She hardly ever leaves her domain unless its to steal or torment lesser creatures, so I doubt you’ve ever crossed her path.”

“I think I’d remember seeing someone like that.” I caught a golden goblet before it could detach from Tama’s shell and stuck it back in a safer place, away from the edges. “She doesn’t sound pleasant at all.”

“Yeah, unfortunately we can’t _all_ be handsome crab monsters.” Tama sighed in feigned melancholy. “That’s part of why she stole the pearl in the first place. Her and her obsession with being a beautiful, _non-monstrous_ human. A foolish dream, really. It would weaken her _immensely_. Wouldn’t make her look any better, either.”

“Hey!” I poked the back of his head. “You’re talking to a human right now, y’know. We aren’t that bad looking.”

“ _Mon ami_ , you misunderstand.” Tamatoa chuckled deeply as he snapped through another chunk of coral. “I was only telling the _truth_. The pearl transforms every monster who uses it to their human equivalent. It’s a masquerade. Our true nature always shines through even if we try hiding it. Nakahi might have brains but she’s absolutely revolting, inside _and_ out. It would most definitely reflect on her human form.”

I took a moment to process this information. Even in Tama’s human-esque form, he still retained his antennae and was just slightly larger than a normal man would be. He had a distinct aura about him that hinted at something much _much_ bigger. This had to be the clues he was talking about. The breaks in the disguise.

“Take your time, babe, but don’t break your brain trying to figure it all out. This is complex magic—wouldn’t expect you to understand.” That earned him a harder poke, which he protested at. “Stop that! I have nothing against you humans, but you sure do take offense easily.”

“Look who’s talking.” I mumbled, but of course he caught it. I was standing right behind his head after all.

“I don’t lump you in with regular humans, darling. My taste is too good for me to even waste time comparing the two.” He glanced back at me. I avoided his gaze nervously, suddenly aware of how close I was standing to his eye stalks. “Mmm, yes. It would be a crime to pretend you’re anything like the rest.”

“Y-Yeah, well… you aren’t too bad yourself.”

“ _Obviously_. You don’t have to tell me twice, babe.” Aaand we were back on track.

An hour or so must have passed before we clubbed our way through to the other side. Our trail wasn’t neat, but neither was anything else in this place. If anything our warpath added to the décor.

“ _Finally_. Gods, I thought we were gonna die in that mess.” I slumped back onto Tama’s shell, exhausted from keeping watch over his hoard.

“It usually doesn’t take that long. She must’ve let it grow out to make it _extra hard_. Joke’s on her, though,” Tama smirked and clicked his pincers. “Her little overgrown coral patch is no match for me.”

“ _Ahem_.”

He rolled his eyes. “Fine, _us_.”

The way we came out left us directly at the foot of the sharp-angled cliff. Scattered above were dozens of holes all differing in size and shape. It was clear they’d been grooved into the rockface by some outside force. It looked like a custom-made beehive.

“How’re we supposed to get in there? There’s no opening big enough for you.”

“I think you mean how are _you_ supposed to get in there.” Tamatoa grabbed me by the scruff of my shirt and placed me down in front of the cliff base.

“Um, _excuse_ me?” I raised my mask and looked him in the eyes. “You _can’t_ be serious. There’s no way I can go in there and deal with Nakahi alone. I thought you said you’d been here before!”

“I wasn’t lying, I have been. I’ve just never been inside.” He spoke as if it was something I should have known all along. “I usually catch her before she slips in. It was easier when she had the common decency to at least confront me face to face, however _abhorrent_ the experience of that was.”

“Then lets just yell and see if she hears us! Anything but make me go in there with nothing!”

“Shh! If she hears us coming, she’ll go down into another one of her tunnels and get past us completely.” Tama silenced me with a light push. “No, this is a good plan. You’ve survived Lalotai for this long without dying, this shouldn’t be anything new.”

Except it was. As much as I’d hidden in caves, I never dared to go into an underground tunnel, or any hole leading somewhere unknown for that matter. There was always something at the other end waiting to catch the unlucky fellow stupid enough to see what’s on the other side.

“I’m just…” I clenched my fists at my side. I didn’t want my brave adventure face to drop in front of him, but I was at a bit of a loss. “Tama, I’m scared.”

I heard him sigh and looked up to see if he was annoyed or not. His expression softened, and I was sure I looked just as nervous as I felt.

“Calm down, babe, it’s not like I’m gonna toss you down there like leftovers.” He sounded just the slightest bit pained. “Look, I’ll be right up here. Don’t get a big head about it, but…you’re the best climber I know. You have these tunnels wrapped around your grabby little fingers.”

He was obviously trying to make me feel better in his own way, even if he still wanted me to go in blind. I hated to admit that it was kind of working. I glanced over my shoulder at the closest cliff opening. It was higher than me, but not as high as Tamatoa, so I could easily be lifted for access.

“Alright, that one. Let me check it out.” I pointed, then grabbed for Tama’s pincer.

“Demanding little thing, aren’t we?” He let me climb my way onto his claw and did as I asked. “Don’t fall in, I haven’t given you directions yet.”

I crawled to the edge of Tama’s claw and peered into the hole. It had no light at the end, but it was big and slanted, and filled with good handholds. I reach a hand out and tested for air flow. When cave exploring, its good to remember this saying: _if it blows, it goes_. Meaning: if a hole has air moving through it, then there must be air on the other side as well. Air means space and space means I can move around without dying. This was good. _Do-able_ , even. There was just one more thing.

I should have considered it sooner. Inside my bag was a generous supply of rope I had previously been collecting for a new hammock. It was hand-fashioned by me so I knew it wouldn’t break under my weight. I pulled some of it out to inspect it and saw there was a lot more than I had estimated. _Yes, this could work._

I stood up and tried not to topple off as I tied the end of the rope to my middle, then up over my shoulders like a harness. Tamatoa’s eyes followed my movements closely, probably curious as to _what the hell_ I was doing. It didn’t take long until I’d secured myself well enough. I turned to look at my companion, who I caught staring rather intently down at me.

“The rope will keep me tied up so I don’t accidentally fall. You see—”

“I’m not _stupid_ , babe, I’ve seen your kind use it before.” He paused. “I was just—watching. For educational purposes.”

I snorted. “I can give you a rope tying lesson if you want but I don’t think it’ll do any good, buddy.” He balked as I knocked a fist on his pincer to drive home my point.

“Bold of you to assume I can’t do anything I set my mind to, human.” Tamatoa pointedly looked away. If I hadn’t known better, I’d have said he was embarrassed. Impossible for someone devoid of any and all shame, however.

“Back to the mission. Give me those directions so I don’t kill myself in there.”

“Hmph, _impatient_. Listen closely then, so I don’t have to repeat myself. I know how much you _love_ hearing my voice, but this is time sensitive.” Tama cleared his throat as quietly as he could for a 50-foot crab monster. “First things first, you’ll have to get through this tunnel, which will put you in the inside chamber. Unless Nakahi’s decided to do a cleaning job, it will be filled with absolute _garbage_ she’s stolen from other creatures. I’ve been told there are separate rooms for separate things, but her prized possessions go in the center of it all. Ugh… just _thinking_ about my pearl stuffed in with her other junk makes me sick.”

“What if I see her?” Thoughts came rushing in. “What if _she_ sees _me_? What do I do if she catches me? How do I—”

“Hey! Cool it, okay babe?” Tama looked me in the eyes. “If she sees you, she won’t attack. She’ll try and talk, especially if she thinks you’re human.”

I gulped. My mask shuddered along with me. “Y-You mean I can’t keep this on?”

“As much as it _pains_ me to let someone like her take in the sight of my stunning _petit trésor_ , no. If she sees you as just another monster, she’ll think you’re there to steal something back from her gross mound of random objects and likely kill you. Humans are much more interesting to her. It’s the _strangest_ fascination I’ve ever encountered, truly.”

“What do I do when I find the pearl, then?” I tried not to think about talking to Nakahi in detail. “What if… what if she doesn’t have it at all?”

“Then no harm done! But she’s still _slime_ and I hate her so feel free to knock some of her stuff around if you want. Don’t let the trip go to waste.” He grinned smarmily. “If the pearl is there, just get back using your rope. Its tied to you for a reason, right? You weren’t just trying to flex your tying skills on me back there?”

“No, but I should have.” I pulled the rest of the substantial rope out of my pack. “Trust me, when I’m really flexing a skill on you, you’ll know it.”

Tamatoa looked skeptical of that.

“No big deal or anything, but…” He sat me on the outer ledge of the tunnel slowly so I didn’t lose my balance. “Don’t be stupid and die. It’ll make me look bad. I’ll have to take our promise back and eat you for real this time. Can’t let a perfectly good human go to waste, and gods be damned if I let _Nakahi_ steal a decent snack from me.”

“Gee, thanks for the pep talk pal.” I gave him a sarcastic thumbs up, finding a good place to secure the other end of my rope. “I’ll tell her to send my corpse your way if things go bad, yeah?”

I stepped into the opening and felt the cool mountain air breeze past me from its depths. It calmed me despite the circumstances. I had my rope, my pack, and my mask on. I’d take it off once I was inside. No point in leaving my face unprotected until I got out of the extremely dangerous pit I was about to take a trip through. I turned around for a final look at Tama. His expression was a little unreadable, but I lifted my mask just enough for him to see my reassuring smile.

“I’ll see you on the other side, Tama.” I signaled with my hand and swung myself inside.

I barely heard his response as the tunnel took my weight in like air into a lung. Though there were handholds and grooves for me to catch on, the rest of the inner surface was slick and smooth, making it hard to control my pace. I held tight to my rope to make sure it didn’t snap or run out too fast. I thought I had a handle on it. It wasn’t as bad as I believed it would be. I couldn’t see anything yet, but that was fine. These were all thoughts I told myself before chaos hit the metaphorical fan.

I had tried to gain footing on a groove in my downhill slide to slow my rate. At the speed I was going, I would be shot out into whatever chamber I was being dragged into. Would probably break a bone and make a giant racket doing so. Anything in the world could have been a better alternative than what _actually happened_. I misjudged the distance and ended up sliding my foot too far down with too much force, causing the rest of my body to follow suit. It was a snowball effect. I grappled with my rope, feeling the makeshift harness tighten around me as I spun out of control in the slick interior of the tunnel. I couldn’t tell what was down or up anymore. The only sound was the air rushing past my ears and my heart beating wildly in my chest.

Oddly enough, I didn’t scream. Even when the rope wrapped itself around my arms, binding them to my torso, I made not a peep. My legs were behind me and I was shooting headfirst into the abyss. The _exact_ opposite of the state I had entered the tunnel in. Somehow, I had seen this coming. In all my cave exploring, rope-tying expertise, I had still managed to fuck this up.

Air started coming faster, colder and wetter. I felt like I was on the brink of something. The chamber opening had to be getting close. In my limited vision, I could just faintly make out a light before the ground was swept from underneath me. I was unfurled none too ceremoniously into the open air of a dank cavernous dungeon. The harness had caught me and suspended me in midair just above the center of the room, dangling me above like some hilariously morbid decoration. My arms were still tied close to me, and I was starting to lose feeling in the tips of my fingers.

_Great. Just great._

If that hadn’t been the absolute icing on the entire fucking cake, I then became starkly aware I wasn’t the only person in the cavern. Below me, not barely 70 feet under, there was a creature as slick and as smooth as an eel, with matted black hair and limbs that weren’t quite human but felt like they were _trying_ to be.

“Well _well_ **_well_** …” Its shrill, gnarled voice cut through the air like a dagger. “ _Look what the snake dragged in_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LOVE YOU GUYS!!! hope this chapter was satisfactory! i know it probably wasn't cuz... cliffhanger... but pls spare me anyway.
> 
> ive thought abt this a lot and if it appeals to anyone i'd like to take drawing requests / writing requests for tama?? if anyone is interested??? prompts keep me busy and what better way to practice creative skills than with the big crab boy. its chill if this doesn't interest anyone though! i'll just focus on updating this fic more often instead :^)
> 
> if you have a request or prompt you can either comment here, contact me on instagram (@bioexorcists), or message me on tumblr (@punkvillain)! hope y'all have a beautiful day/night!

**Author's Note:**

> hope that wasn't too awful!! i'm not very experienced with reader inserts, so that might show. 
> 
> im also not a fan of writing while calling the reader "you". i prefer speaking in first person for reader insert stuff. i hope this won't be a problem for anyone!


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